From Here to There
by TheBlueFoxtrot A Samba
Summary: Twenty six drabbles/oneshots with the noble Swordsmaster and the caustic Bounty Hunter - the crack!ship that could. Loopy777's Piandao Shipping Week
1. A to E

I don't own Avatar. However, if somebody wanted to share what they got…

Piandao Shipping Week

* * *

><p>…Angst…<p>

She can look at him and see the rich clothes, the polished manners. He is a gentleman. A lord of men and warriors. He is a warrior himself. Here in this shady bar, among cutthroats and thieves, he sits with an ease as though these are his people. Or he's one of them. Like he belongs here.

He can fit in both worlds.

She can see the lowlifes eyeing them. For the first time in a long time, there's someone in the room more intimidating than her. For the first time in a lifetime, she's jealous. Maybe she should start hauling a sword around too.

…Burn…

"Back off."

"You're injured. You need a healer."

"I'll throw some dirt on it."

"You're joking."

"…"

"That's a second degree burn."

"I'll throw a little more dirt than usual then."

"It could get infected."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you nag like an old woman?"

Sigh

"What are you – oof. Put me down!"

"Keep struggling and I'll drop you on your head."

"If anyone I know sees this, I'll let Nyla eat you."

…Catch…

It didn't really matter what the target was. Jun always found what she was after. That whole disaster with Creepy Uncle Fatso and Angry Lord didn't count. This situation wasn't anywhere near as high profile as all that. It led to some common thief with common impulses and an unusual decision to make.

He could run left down the alley and straight towards the scary woman with the wicked whip and giant, slobbering, toothy monster; it looked hungry, and she was obviously crazy. To the right stood a man a head taller than him with a gleaming sword; he looked very much like he knew how to use it. Guy with a sword or whip lady with the foaming-mouth beast.

This made no sense. This wasn't even fair! All this fuss over a stupid boomerang?

…Dark…

It was not a hard stretch to say that he had never met a woman like Jun. He'd never met a _man_ like her for that matter. She was rough. Hard in her manner, her voice. Yet it was…pleasing; it suited her.

He'd seen her take down a man twice her size without mussing a hair. She could outdrink him, much to his chagrin. She cursed like a sailor at any given moment. She coddled that shirshu like a proud mother and scolded it like one too. That was…endearing in a way.

When he looked at her, he saw an independent, smart, capable woman with a mysterious tattoo who had a fondness for saki and gold. She had a mean streak, a narrow good side, and held a grudge like a wolverine-cougar.

He could not tell for anything just what she saw when she looked at him. He didn't know why he cared.

…Engrave…

"What?"

"What?"

"You're staring."

"And? Are _you _going to talk to me about manners?"

"If you're going to start being creepy and trying to hit on me, I'm outta here."

"The tattoos. Is there any significance to them or are they merely decoration?"

She arched a brow, "What do you think?"

"You don't seem the type to cause yourself unnecessary pain, especially for appearance's sake. My guess, it holds some sentimentality for you personally. Maybe your people. Perhaps some kind of rite of passage."

She stared. Then she scoffed, "Must you over-complicate everything? I like snakes. Subject closed."

It was a long moment of silence, broken only by the crackle of fire and the growling snore of her beast.

"Now _you're_ staring."

"You got ink?"

"…none that you will see."

"Oh, really?"

"Let me put it this way. Only my wife will _ever_ see it."

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	2. F then G followed by H

…Forbidden…

With no mother around to teach her all those womanly skills, some of which she managed to pick up anyway, her father had no objections from anyone about her learning the business, and learning it well. There were plenty of tricks, rules, and tips to bounty hunting, and she knew them all. More than once, they'd help save her life.

Number forty: if it seems someone's out to get you, they are.

She especially loved sixteen: if someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.

Nine: never go anywhere without a knife.

Two of the most important, two she'd never really had much of a problem with were ten and eleven. _Never_ get personally involved and when the job is done, walk away. When that happened, there was emotional investment, and listening to emotions made for stupid mistakes. Stupid mistakes made for dead bounty hunters.

So while Jun rode Nyla down the docks to a ship that would take them – including Piandao – to Kyoshi Island to deliver the recovered weapons, essentially going above and beyond her duty of simply finding, she thought of another one of dear old Dad's rules.

Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

There was no doubt in her mind, he was rolling in his grave.

…Gentle…

They've been traveling together for weeks, for reasons neither one will say aloud. During this time, Jun has spent more time thinking about this single man than any other. Quarry didn't count. But this Piandao, this Lord of Shu Jing wasn't like any man she'd met before.

In the past, nobleman she'd dealt with had been snooty, condescending, and morons. While he had a certain walk, that held more to self-confidence. Though she never really had a high opinion of most, he was smarter than most generals she'd encountered. He looked down at no one.

She was beautiful and aware of this. Men saw her and leered, and she'd let them until they tried to touch. Then that knife came in handy, but most times she didn't even need it. She'd caught him looking more than once, and he never actually tried to hide it. It was respectful, in a way. Appreciative rather than starving dog and piece of steak.

As a warrior, on the occasions when they'd run into trouble, he made it look easy. Jun preferred not to fight with blades because of the whole blood and death thing. Yet he wove around them, making cuts shallow enough to be nearly harmless but hurt. He'd even play with them a little before putting them down, not breaking a sweat. It was reflective of her own style, and how could she not like anything pertaining to herself?

He wasn't conceited or arrogant, though he had cause to be. He wasn't a pervert or crazy. He wasn't gay or married. He wasn't needlessly violent or easily provoked.

He was so weird.

…Health…

Jun planted a hand on her hip and pulled a disbelieving face, swaying dangerously. She could only stare, blinking a moment. Her chivalrous hero straightened from his low fighting stance, metal glinting in the moonlight.

"You know, you really shouldn't wander off like that."

Then she narrowed her dark eyes, and her full, red lips pulled into a sneer.

"'Scuse me. D'you just '_d'fend my honor_'?"

Piandao glanced aside, absently flicking his sword clean then sheathing it.

"Well, let's see. Obscenely huge men, dark alley, tipsy woman –"

"'M ain't tipsy."

"I was being kind," he shrugged and went on. "Then the lewd innuendoes and comments you made about their mothers didn't help at all."

"Look, I gotta reputation t' hold-up, and I can handle myself. If you value breathin' right, ya won't do that 'gain."

He turned to her, head tilted. With a direct look, he leaned forward with brows raised.

"_You're welcome._"

She scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever."

She sauntered past him toward the end of the alley, kicking one of the five downed, groaning thug as she went by. Piandao waited a beat, sure that she would figure it out momentarily, but she _really _didn't seem to like him being helpful. Which is exactly why he decided to be so.

"Jun."

"What!"

"Nyla is the other way."

She came to an abrupt halt, and he heard her _growl_ before she spun on her heel stalked back his way. One of the other men moaned as he struggled to sit up. Jun slugged him, and he went back down quietly. Not even bothering to hide a smile, Piandao stared straight ahead and over the top of her head as she continued past him, muttering about stupid creatures and worthless animals. He wasn't sure if she meant Nyla or men in general. In any case, he turned to follow her before she left him stranded in the little town.

* * *

><p>AN: Daddy's rules are Gibb's rules from the show NCIS which isn't mine either.


	3. I and J

I'm really starting to love these two a lot.

…Irksome…

Ridiculous. Jun and That Man are arguing again, over something as inane as which one of these smelly, little shacks they'll be eating at. If I had eyes, I'd be rolling them. The entire town is a dump, as far as I can tell. Wherever they eat will be terrible no matter which hovel they choose to eat it from.

Annoying. Whenever they argued, it was always over something stupid. As little as they did it, I wish they'd do it less. It wasn't that they got loud, but their snide little tones aggravated my hearing. And That Man did it on purpose, I could tell. My mistress is not known for her patience, and any idiot can see the danger of riling her too much.

He thinks it's funny. The weirdo.

He's kind of a jerk, too. I like him anyway. He knows how to scratch the right places.

Ugh. They're still doing it. When are they going to get a clue? I may be a two-ton, blind, shirshu, but that hardly makes me stupid. I can recognize base attraction when I smell it. I mean, enough is enough! Those two should just stop this mating dance and get on with the mating already.

…Jail…

She didn't like nobles. They were such pompous, self-important, ego maniacs convinced that the world existed for their utter amusement. The dirt and grit that was everyone else's existence. The lives of people who worked day in and day out to support their families were of no consequence to them. When one of these people, the backbone of their kingdom, was murdered by some starving thug out to score some easy coin, those snobs in their mansions only lament that they are surrounded by such uncivilized folk.

Then when Jun comes through town chasing down the murdering, little sneak thief, and the town's magistrate happens to get shoved aside into a pile of fragrant fertilizer, who gets sent to jail? Admittedly, she shouldn't have punched him in the nose, but he shouldn't have started scolding her and wagging his finger in her face. Who did he think he was, her grandmother? Follow that with resisting arrest, and she was not looking at the best of charges. Still, it was completely worth it, and she'd do it again.

Piandao didn't count among those people she resented most of the time, but he was enjoying this too much. Even now, he was looking at her through the bars of her cell with barely concealed amusement, hands held behind his back. Over the course of a few weeks, this man has thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of cabbages, flirted with her, made her discard one of her father's most hallowed rules, thoroughly weirded her out, and actually had to gall to defend her in battle. If he had been anyone else, she would have been forced to kill him a while ago. This was why she didn't get involved with people. They were just so cursed aggravating.

Reclined on the little board of wood that was meant to pass for a cot, Jun glared at him. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"You could have helped, you know."

"I'm sorry. I was under the impression that you could handle yourself, and that I should let you since I'm fond of breathing."

He was laughing at her. Not out loud, but she could see the mirth shining in his eyes. An odd feeling spread through her, and she spoke with utter calmness.

"I wasn't sure before, but now I'm confident of it. I really hate you."

He rolled his eyes heavenward. "That's too bad. And I'd just been about to cash in a favor to get you out of here, for our friendship's sake. However, if you hate me, it would seem I mistook our relationship then and have no reason to assist you."

She stared at him. Various curses she'd heard throughout her life shuffled through her mind, and it was an extensive. Yet none of them were foul enough to fling at that infuriating man. So she just _stared _at him.

He smiled and said lightly, "Of course, I can see that you're not happy with your situation, and that's just the stress talking. You don't really hate me, do you?"

If her father were here, instead of being planted six feet under roughly next to where her mother was, she knew exactly what he'd say.

'_Didn't I tell you, Jun? If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. This is what happens when you don't listen to the rules. They're rules for a reason, and I told you for a reason. Do you think I just talk because I like to hear the sound of my voice?'_

_Yes._

Daddy had been long-winded.

Jun sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it hiss out between her teeth.

"No."

"No what?"

Her teeth bared, but if he wanted to think it was a smile, fine. She was going to strangle him for this. And she was going to enjoy it a whole lot more than she should.

"No…I don't hate you."

_But I am going to dance on your grave._

"Wonderful! I'll get started on seeing the charges dropped and your release. It might take three or two days but –"

"What?"

"Well, you did attack the magistrate and wound several law officers on top of the property damage. People are usually very sensitive about these kinds of things."

"Why don't you just get me out the more proactive way?"

"You mean a prison break?"

"Yes!"

He frowned at her. "Jun. That's _illegal_."

And that's when Jun lunged at him, arms reaching through the bars to that man's neck. He was three inches from her grasp. Despite the metal bars holding her back, Piandao stepped away. It was possible; he'd gone too far.

Piandao raised his brows and said, "I think I should get started then."

He retreated a few more steps before turning his back on her and walking out of the prison hall. An evil smile graced her lips, and a bark of laughter escaped her mouth. That man had some serious payback coming his way.

That murdering, little, sneak thief she'd managed to catch sat away from her in his little corner, watching her carefully. He did not like that look on her face. Maybe if he continued to feign paralysis, she'd keep ignoring him.


	4. Keep Letters Moving

Warning: attempt at a haiku ahead

* * *

><p>…Knowledge…<p>

At first, Jun seemed not the least bit upset about her recent incarceration and Piandao's – completely innocent – teasing. She seemed her usual, charming – abrasive, snide – self. No more, no less. And that was why Piandao was concerned. She was being too…normal. Never for a moment had Jun struck him as the type to forgive and forget. He found himself watching and waiting with a paranoid intensity for when she would get him back. Because he knew better.

This was a time to exercise neutral jing. He was aware that it was a mind game, but Jun was far too vindictive to _only_ screw with his mind. He also knew that this waiting was a part of her plot and it would most likely go beyond simply striking him, but that didn't stop him from flinching when she made sudden moves. He'd seen the woman break a man's jaw; he had a right to be wary.

And during all this watching and waiting, he learned something very important about Jun. The woman was an absolute sadist, and he staunchly refused to examine the fact that he was mostly okay with that.

…Locked…

One thing about Jun, when she didn't have any pressing matter – such as tracking down a quarry, humiliating men twice her size, or sneering at society's rules – the woman was incredibly lazy. While Piandao had mostly retired himself to a life of leisure, he was never this inactive. He'd been in the military for most of his life. Such stagnation was uncomfortable, to say the least.

In his youth, he'd been a jittery child. Once he'd learned calligraphy and artwork, that had helped calm him. Taking what he saw and carefully recreating it, adding a part of his spirit with ink and brush soothed away some of his nervous energy. Not so long after, learning the discipline of the sword was downright cathartic. Learning how to create his own swords had just been sheer bliss, once he got past the whole sweating buckets, intense heat, sore muscles, harsh burns, and little to no sleep portion of it.

He stayed busy, even when it didn't seem like it. If he weren't actively moving toward a goal, his mind was. It wasn't always something so significant as how to get out of the Fire Nation unnoticed and through the Earth Kingdom in time for the Siege of Bah Sing Se. Actually, it was almost never anything like that. Most times, he usually had more time for those kinds of endeavors.

Simply, just because he was retired, that didn't mean he sat all day, every day doing nothing.

While the quaint, little spa was most certainly high-quality and offered several services which he'd indulged in…they'd been there three weeks. Three. Weeks. Twenty-one days. Four hundred ninety-two hours. Restless was a mild way of putting his mood. Climbing the walls and _almost _bored to tears _started _to approach it, but not quite.

The resort was a sprawling series of bathhouses and such, situated along the northeastern coast of the Earth Kingdom. However, it was within the limits of a Fire Nation colony that had yet to be officially re-sanctioned. Piandao had just from the nearby village, having already seen and done almost everything of interest during his stay. What he had not done was either stupid or illegal, and he wasn't that jaded yet.

There was a young worker carrying a load of towels, and he asked her,

"Where is Jun?"

The girl bowed her head respectfully and told him that the woman had just gone into the sauna. When he began to walk that way, the girl reminded him that _that _particular service was not communal. He thanked her and instead went to his room. There, he changed out of his standard suit of clothes into a loose, white tunic, brown pants, and left his shoes before going to the beach. Again.

His sword was at his side, and he walked quite a ways across the white shore. A path as pure as snow stretched on before him. To his left, the ocean went on in a forever that touched the sky far from where he walked. The sun sparked dancing, blinding light across the extensive blue of the waters. To the right, the rocky coastline rose roughly as a wall against the beach. As if dropped by a giant or a bender, he found a boulder dropped halfway between the oceanfront and harsh coast.

The scenery, while no Shu Jing mountain range, was lovely. If he'd had his set, he would have taken the time to capture the picturesque setting. Of course, between blade and brush, the former was more fun.

With the wind against his back, he unsheathed his sword. The metal caught the sunlight with less concentration than the sparkling whitecaps, but the waves had lost his attention entirely. The moves were familiar as an old friend, and he stepped through the katas long since practiced to memory. It was a meditation, in a way, and the only relaxation he needed. He didn't know how long he went on, slow at first, but increasing in speed and intensity.

Turn and strike.

Parry and step.

Lunge and block.

Before long, he didn't even think on what he was doing. Feeling no strain, he merely allowed his body to move as it willed. The waves rushed against the shore, the sea gulls called to one another, and his audience applauded at the completion of the fifth set. His eyes tracked the sound even as his body continued onto the sixth set.

Jun stood a ways from him, dressed in casual Fire Nation tunic and trousers the resort had supplied. He didn't think too much on how the color complimented her. Her hair was free of its usual ornament, and the wind tossed it about with abandon. She raised a hand to pull it from her face.

"I was told you were looking for me," she said.

"When are we leaving?" he asked, not stopping his exercise.

"'Til I run out of money or the boys work out this kink in my back," she stretched her arms over her head and arched her back. "It's a stubborn one."

He corrected the slight mistake to his form and put his eyes away from the glimpse of a pale midriff.

"Yeah, I was thinking more like tomorrow. Or even better, this afternoon."

"You wanna leave so bad, go. I'm not stopping you."

He just looked at her, and she stared right back. Rolling her eyes, she passed by him to the water, inches from the tip of his blade. In peripheral, he saw her stop and bend forward to roll the legs of pants up before wading in.

His movements drastically slowed. The blade had lost his focus, and his eyes traveled to the ocean again. Rather than blue water and sky, bright sun and clouds, his mind focused on a pair of impossibly pale legs. Then it contrasted how her skin looked against his. And then it spiraled down from there. Mentally, he slapped himself. _This_ is what happened when his brain was left without stimulation. Give it the slightest prompt, and it ran with it.

_Like you've never seen legs before._

_Well, it _has _been a while._

Giving up all pretense, he sheathed the sword. His gaze settled firmly on hers after halting on her smirking mouth.

"Oh, hey, you found my eyes."

"Can we get back to subject?"

"What exactly is the subject?"

…

Horsefeathers. This was a little pathetic. A peek at a fine pair of legs, and all sense flies from his head. He was certain that Iroh had a proverb that went something like that.

"Something," she began, "about you leaving, wasn't it?"

"_Us _leaving."

"That's where I don't get it. Since when is there an 'us'?"

He had no earthly idea. Articulate, intelligent man that he was, he shrugged. She didn't dwell on his non-answer, but her eyes held a look that she was paying quite a bit of attention to this conversation.

"If you actually did anything, you wouldn't want to leave. Have you tried a mani-pedi yet?"

"I am _not _doing that."

He had _some _pride left. Not much, after the facial, but some and he was going to guard it fiercely.

She smirked. From experience, little good came to the one who put that expression on her face. Jun stalked towards him, and the beach wasn't even there. She walked right up to him, and the top of her head stopped at his chin.

"Understand this, _Lord _of Shu Jing. I'm taking a vacation from hunting down the world's low lifes and bottom feeders. Something I haven't done in about six years. I'm going to enjoy it, and I'll leave when I'm ready because dammit all if I start taking orders from anyone, leastwise you."

She emphasized each of her points with a painful poke to his solar plexus and ending by holding the finger just in front of his nose. To avoid going cross-eyed, he covered her hand with his and lowered them.

"I'm not trying to give you an order."

"Good. Don't ever try it either. Now, come on," she took advantage of their clasped hands to drag him after her. "There is a bottle of rice wine and a man who wants to see us about a missing mistress and a bag of rubies the size of a hawk's egg."

"I thought you were on vacation."

"What part of 'rubies the size of a hawk's egg' did you not hear?"

…Man…

It took him a while to admit it, but Jun was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Of course, not to her face though because she was also crazy scary and unpredictable. He had no doubt, if given enough time, he could pen a thousand haikus that could never begin to approach the truth of those. But hers was a fierce and dangerous beauty.

History tells that the eruption that took Roku's Island was seen for miles. The black stained sky was backdrop to a shower of crimson, flung into the air before raining down They say after it ended, the whole island glowed hot red for hours. And after, the island was home to none and the Avatar's life was ended.

Sozin's Comet was fierce power itself, streaking across the sky in a brilliant flame. The heavens turned to fire for a day, and the destruction, while great, was so minor compared to the pyre it could have caused. The world would have burned.

Jun was like that. If provoked or handled the wrong way, the woman would take anyone out. And she'd do it with ease and grace and _smile_.

While Piandao certainly provoked her, he seemed to think he knew how to deal with her. He was aware that there was some form of revenge coming to him for that incident with the jail, and that the woman could do him serious damage if she had a mind to try.

But, seated across from her, watching her lick her lips at the plate of food being placed in front of her, he said it anyway,

"I know it's a buffet, but don't you think seven plates are more than enough?"

Spirits bless his simple heart.

Chopsticks poised over a dumpling, Jun looked at him. The waiter looked at him. The old couple next to them looked at him. Then she blinked, he walked away, and they shook their heads.

"Piandao."

"What?"

"Did you just call me fat?"

"N-"

…

"Oh."

Jun was beautiful and dangerous, and that just went hand in hand. However, it made no sense that a woman could hit _that _hard.

_Her thunder coming_

_Preludes the hunt of the fools_

_And her rule remains_


	5. Native

…Native…

or

'_The Case of his Missing Mistress and Giant Rubies'_

* * *

><p>Jun usually had nothing but bad to say about the fat cats who sometimes hired her. They were stingy with their wads of money. Condescension and superiority they didn't really have oozed from them.<p>

The most recent one from the spa almost seemed one of the few decent ones except for his slick personality. He'd been gracious and charming and tried too hard to pretend that he wasn't ogling her. Then Piandao's blade had caught his attention, and he started ogling that. Frankly, Jun didn't like the guy. Of course, she was a professional. She wouldn't dream of letting personal bias interfere with a job. She'd just charge him double the usual rate plus expenses.

Usually, that would go against her code of conduct – which was subject to change – but for a few details. One: Rinji was a lawyer. Daddy had taught her that the only decent lawyer was a dead one. She had to disagree. Live, rich ones willing to part with their coin were better. Two: he was a family man with a wife, two kids, and that whole deal. He hired her to retrieve Emi, his _special friend_, and his family jewels. They were actually his wife's and rubies – the size of a hawk's egg – to be precise. It seemed his mistress had decided to liberate herself and that Rinji owed her a little more for her services. Three: the guy was slimy. It would surprise her if infidelity was his only dirty secret.

…

They left the next day, tracking a scent from an ivory comb. Piandao had been just shy of giddy to be leaving, and she'd had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, his misery had been very amusing. The man pouted like a child. On the other hand, that had done little to settle the score between them since that business with that magistrate.

Jun didn't carry grudges; they were too heavy a burden. However, Daddy taught her to always repay her debts, no matter what or how long it takes. That was a lesson she'd truly taken to heart. Driving Piandao insane for three weeks hadn't come close to repaying him.

Then there was that annoyingly worrisome niggle that he would leave…before she _repaid_ him, of course.

…

Emi had a week's headstart on them. During that time, she'd made a decent amount of mileage. Safe to say the woman had picked up some kind of transport, an ostrich-horse maybe. To Nyla, the distance was nothing. The trail went from dusty back roads to forested paths and short stops in five separate towns. Rinji had said that Emi had never travelled anywhere without an escort. Yet her journey led her through areas that had plenty of water and rest stops. Emi just might have some friends helping her.

Rinji would be suitably billed for any trouble her pals might cause.

The hunt led to a sprawling town with a stone wall surrounding, high enough that Nyla couldn't get over. Not easily, anyway. The town of Peiking had been one of the lesser strongholds during the war. What made it unique was how it was run and its militia. Neither claimed to be part of the Earth Kingdom. This land was on the Bon Guay Peninsula on the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, far from the capitol of Bah Sing Se. It had been overlooked for protection from the invading forces, but the inhabitants hadn't seen fit to allow their homes to be razed to the ground. Rather than bear arms and go to war themselves, the merchants had a more…emissary approach.

They hired a mercenary army controlled by the Roth Clan, a fiercesome band of warriors originally from the South. The clan had done its job well. They'd repelled the Fire Nation from their walls, convincing them that the town was far more trouble than it was worth. It took many years and many lives from both sides before that point was reached. Once the enemy had been repelled, the city of Peiking found itself being inhabited by a wild band of warriors that had no intention of leaving. No one was surprised when the coup occurred. The Roth Clan still charged for its protection and guarded its borders severely. It was almost as hard to get into as Bah Sing Se. Not just anyone was welcomed.

Jun was not just anyone.

…

An old Lieutenant of the Roth Clan stood in the center of the gates of Peiking. On either side, two young earthbending guards stood with him. Before them, the road curved out of the forest a decent half mile from them. So far, they'd turned away a number of unsavory folk, such as a band of nomads who wouldn't _stop_ singing, a man who _claimed_ to be a guru, a scruffy, foul-mouth child of indeterminable gender with a silent archer, a cabbage merchant with very suspect produce, and a mysterious woman who only asked the way to the East coast. In all the Lieutenant's years, it qualified as a relatively slow day. However, it wasn't even noon yet, and that more than likely would last long.

Then steady thundering against the earth rumbled under their feet. When the giant beast came barreling out of the trees, the two guards on either side of him suspected the worst. Which was that they were about to be eaten. Naturally, they each hurled a rock towards it only to have their commanding officer smack both boulders down and give the younger men a box on their ears.

"But, Lieutenant –"

"Shut up!" the grey-headed soldier warned. "Stand at attention and _try _to show some dignity."

The monster, that they could now see had two people riding atop it, skidded to a stop three feet before the Lieutenant. It stood taking deep breaths of air, whiskers twitching inches from the elder man's face. He peered up at the fierce-looking woman holding the beast's reins.

"Long time, no see, Orinko," she said.

"Yeah, I kinda liked it that way," the Lieutenant sighed.

"I can imagine so," he heard the man say.

"So what is it this time, Jun? Business or pleasure?"

Genuinely amused, Jun tilted her head and grinned.

"Why can't it be both?"

…

Lieutenant Orinko let her in, of course, and Nyla and Piandao by default. After housing Nyla at a stable, – and moving some of the others well away – the two walked through the streets of Peiking toward the Clan House. The house was erected atop a plateau in the center of the town. The roads were something of a maze, crowded with people on this fine market day. Hawkers shrieked on either side of her about their fresh fruit, fine silk, cheap prices, all better than the rest. Varying shades of green flitted from stall to booth to shop, browsing the merchandise, haggling the prices.

Jun hated market day. There were too many people, too many faces and stinking bodies. Normally, Jun had a presence that clearly said 'Stay Away'. However, the crowds were too busy and focused on getting the good deals before the other rabid shoppers. No one noticed her gradually rising ire, and it went up another notch when a plump house wife barreled past her. A weaker person would have knocked clear of their feet, but Jun merely brushed her off, grit her teeth, and kept walking.

Then she noticed she'd lost her shadow. A harsh breath hissed through her teeth, and she turned around to see that man standing in front of a booth spilling over with garments dyed every shade of blue, green, red and colors in between. Three long strides, and she was next to him, tapping red painted nails on the wooden counter. She ignored the man eying them greedily, who'd no doubt taken a closer look at Piandao's dusty but fine clothes.

"You're Earth Kingdom?"

"I'm sure we've gone over this before."

He picked up a dark green scarf, finally embroidered with silver strands into thin vines, and held it close to her face. She arched a brow at the strangely contemplative look on his face.

"Why do you always wear black? Do you own anything green?"

"It would look very fine on you, miss," the shopkeeper promised. "It looks lovely against your pale skin. Green is definitely your color."

"You know, he's right," Piandao agreed, and the other man nodded vigorously.

"Why do you always ask questions? Do you feel compelled to be nosy and annoying?"

"I'm not annoying," he put the scarf back and replaced it with a red and gold one. "Charming, intellectual, refined, and perhaps inquisitive but never annoying."

"You forgot delusional," she snatched the bright scarf out of his hand and tossed it at the shopkeeper. Seizing his hand in a strong grip, she proceeded to drag him away from the disappointed salesman. "Now stop wandering off."

Piandao just smiled.

…

The Roth Clan House was as lavish and sprawling as anyone would expect. Having taken over the former ruling families' interests and trades, they could well afford it even without the added income from the protection and taxes the citizens provided. Even so, while they couldn't touch the likes of the Bei Fongs, they did decent enough. The house, rather mansion, was surrounded by a gate that was open until sunset. At a little past noon day, the gate was wide open, and the armed guards on duty immediately recognized black-leather clad woman. The man with her, they did not know, and seeing her with a man who wasn't paralyzed and bound with rope was a surprise. For a moment, they wondered if this was the woman they thought it was.

Without breaking stride, Jun marched past them, and the man with her nodded to them.

"Gentlemen."

"Stop _talking_ to people."

They watched the two for a moment before sharing a look. Yup. That was Jun all right.

…

By the time they reached the main house, Jun released her death grip on Piandao's hand, and he discretely massaged the feeling back into it. After Jun instructed him to remove his shoes as she did the same, a pretty, young woman came and bowed to them, and they responded with a respectful nod.

"Welcome to our home. The Roth Clan is delighted to receive you and your guest. Please follow me."

Jun merely grunted in reply and did as she was bid. The girl was just a kid, and she'd said it all so nice, Jun decided not to be difficult. And that basically covered her good deed for the next year or so. The girl led them to a richly furnished waiting room with plush cushions, brightly colored paintings, and detailed tapestries. It screamed lavish and wealth, and Jun found that she didn't really like it. And somehow, every time she came here, they stuck her in the same obnoxious room. The girl bowed at the door after informing them that their host would come shortly.

Jun lounged back against her pile of pillows and stared at the ceiling to avoid looking at the room. She could see Piandao from the corner of her eye, sitting all straight and proper with his sword laid to his side.

"All right, we need to cover some ground rules. When they get in here, don't talk to anyone unless they speak to you first. _Whatever_ they give you, drink it. And don't do that thing you do, and –"

"I do several things, Jun. Breathing being one of them. Perhaps you could clarify what you mean."

"That," she pointed at him. "The sarcasm. Don't do it. They might decide to keep you."

"What?"

"The Roth Clan consider themselves to be…connoisseurs. They have a habit of collecting so-called _fine_ things, people, whatever." Jun looked him up and down, smirking. "You could definitely qualify."

She could almost see the gears turning in his head on that one and closed her eyes to listen better.

"Did you qualify?" he asked slowly.

"What do you think?"

"What happened?"

"I made them realize I was more trouble than I was worth. Now, we're probably going to meet Irata first. She's the go-between and very particular about things. You should –"

"Jun, I _know_ how to behave in front of nobles."

"Yeah, but these guys are wanna-bes. I'll admit, they do a decent job of it, but they're even more sensitive and violent than the ordinary ones."

"I see. Should I just not talk?"

"Not a bad idea. And for the love of money, don't stare."

"Right," he drawled out, and she could hear him roll his eyes.

Her eyes flew open and pinned with a glare.

"I am serious. If you offend these people, I will personally flay you alive. Do you understand?"

An arched brow and a surprised look suggested he did not. Yet he said,

"I will not do anything to jeopardize you or your objectives. You have my word."

With one last, hard look, Jun slowly reclined back. Inwardly, she smiled. Spirits, he was making this so easy.

…

When the girl said shortly, that would usually mean an hour to whenever. For most people. But when Jun was still a young girl under her father's tutelage, she'd shown them that making her wait was a bad idea. Fifteen minutes, and their honorable host finally made her appearance. Irata was large. She had a large body, a large voice, and a large brain. Though she seemed like tub of harmless lard, she was far from it. Harmless, that is. She was definitely a tub of lard.

"Jun! You look lovely, darling."

"You look…fed."

The woman laughed, and rolls of flesh around her neck and belly shook from it. "My dear, always with the cute wit. Amazing that it hasn't gotten you in serious trouble yet. Tell me, how do you like the wine? It's a new kind we're experimenting with, and you know we do so value your opinion on these things."

"A bit drier than I like, but you know I'm picky."

"Yes," she fairly tittered. "Yes, I know. Well, I'm sorry it's not to your liking, dear. But, much as it pains me to say, you didn't come here just to visit, did you?"

Jun shrugged helplessly. "What can I say? I'm all work, Irata. Nyla trailed a woman here to your town. She's here for sure, and I came to request the permission of the Roth Clan to search your town for her and keep the gates closed to anyone leaving until she's found."

"Quite. Well, I have no problem with you looking around. If you find your woman, I'll expect the usual cut, of course."

"Of course," she agreed through clenched teeth.

"Although, I insist you keep the collateral damage to a minimum this time, dear. We _will not_ be having another incident like last time, _will_ we? In the meantime, what will you give me for collateral?"

Jun raised her cup to her lips and jerked her thumb to Piandao.

"Him."

"_What_?" Piandao spoke up for the first time since the other woman entered the room.

And without being spoken to as well.

"Your _word_," Jun reminded smugly and saw him stiffen with realization.

She had to fight to not laugh.

Ignoring the exchange, Irata's eyes roved over Piandao speculatively, and she tapped a chubby finger where a chin met another chin.

"Aside from the obvious, why would I want him? I don't like them that old, Jun."

"This isn't just any old guy, Irata. _This_," Jun laid a hand on her companion's tense shoulder and paused for dramatic effect, "… is the legendary swordsman Lord Piandao of Shu Jing."

She still looked incredibly unimpressed, but Jun could see the act. She was drooling – figuratively of course. Irata considered herself too much a lady to do so literally. The mere celebrity alone of someone like Piandao was worth a lot to people like her. The idea of being able to hold him for a ransom to his country held merit, though certainly danger as well. Also, if Jun took long enough, Irata might be convinced to craft some of his fine swords for the clan. Then the possibility of making a match with him and one of the girls was too much a golden opportunity to pass up.

There was never a doubt in Jun's mind.

"You know, when you were first reported being here, I'd thought you'd picked up a partner. But still, I'm not sure. He's certainly a different sort of what you usually leave me. I'll have to make sure he's fed and watered, give him accommodations befitting his status, of course. That will…increase the usual cut significantly, but because we're such good friends, not so much more then, hm?"

"The Roth Clan is gracious indeed."

Jun loved it when a plan came together.

…

Jun and Piandao had arrived too late to have the mid-day meal with the others, but their gracious host had food sent to their rooms. As long as they stayed in Peiking, the Roth Clan home was open to them. Normally, she wouldn't be lounging around, nibbling on dumplings when a job was unfinished, but she had an ulterior motive. Besides that, the woman – or anyone else for that matter – wouldn't be leaving town.

"You know the most fascinating people."

She looked up briefly at Piandao as he shut the door and walked toward her.

"Aren't gentlemen supposed to knock or something before coming into a lady's room?"

"I'll remember that the next time I wish to enter a lady's room."

"What crawled up your butt and died?"

He crossed his arms and leveled her with a _look_. She smiled prettily.

"I have been propositioned for marriage _three_ times."

"Congratulations."

"Jun!"

"Piandao. You should be honored. The Roths are very particular about who they give their girls away to. And they come with this huge dowry – I mean, ridiculous. The ugly ones have the bigger offerings though. Did they try to give you Wei Wei? She has a _great_ personality."

His face grew longer, and his eyes bigger as she spoke. The look of horror on his face was too amusing. And the Roth woman hadn't even really gotten started yet.

"You cannot seriously expect to stay with these people here until however long it takes you to find this woman."

"Actually, until I pay them. And you gave your word, remember? Running away would be a massive insult, and I'd be on their list for life. And considering they're a warrior clan in charge of this whole city, it might be hard for even you to fight your way out."

He stared at her for a long, long moment.

"How long will it take you to find Emi?"

She shrugged. "It's a big town, lots of little places she could be hiding, and it stinks. Couple of days maybe. But don't worry. I'll get right on it…first thing tomorrow."

"This is it, isn't it?"

Aw, he was starting to put it together. Cute.

"Hm?"

"You're getting me back for teasing you in the jail, aren't you?"

"Okay, you weren't teasing. You were _taunting_ and practically begging. Who am I to deny you? Just consider this another lesson on me. I always pay back my debts."

"Don't you think this is a little excessive?"

"I believe in interest."

…

It took a week. Five hours spent searching for the mistress – who'd been hiding out with her new man who wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but Jun gave him a B for effort and didn't hurt him too much – and the rest spent riding back to Bon Guay to deliver the goods. The woman had been paralyzed for most of the trip, but she'd _talked _and _wailed_ and _cried_ and screamed bloody murder until Jun had to gag her. Finally, they reached the meeting point Rinji had specified, the man got his goods, Jun got her coin, and they made their grand exit. There'd been some little fuss over one of the rubies being missing, but Jun convinced him that there was nothing to be done for it. All in all, it was a job well done.

Later that same night, Jun returned to the city, liberated the mistress, returned her to Peiking, and received her payment in the form of one large ruby.

Jun held the ruby up the dim light cast by the small fireplace in her former target, current employer's quaint little home. It sparkled and reflected red light on her hand. She tossed the gem in the air, caught it, and tucked it away securely.

"Emi," Jun held out a hand, "it's been a pleasure."

Emi eyed the hand warily a moment, casting a fearful glance to her boyfriend with the recently broken wrist, before giving it a brief shake.

"Thank you…I guess."

Jun smiled.

"Don't worry. The toxin will run out of your system completely in another few hours. Now if you two turtledoves'll excuse me, I've got to go get _my _man."

After the enterprising bounty hunter left, the couple agreed that it wasn't a very nice smile.

…

That same night, Jun visited a nice, seedy with sticky tables and counters, strong beer, and rowdy men and treated them all to a round. One of the young gate guards from the first day foolishly accepted her challenge to arm wrestle and reimbursed her expense for half of the drinks.

In that same town, Piandao was being entertained by no less than five eligible ladies of the Roth Clan. Over the past week, any number of women – he stopped counting at twelve – had been paraded before him in the most blatant manner. They flirted shamelessly, hinted pointedly, and dressed daringly. If nothing else, he could say at least one positive thing in their favor. They had nothing against the Fire Nation, at least those wealthy one with some political import and a viable skill. Also, they were not shy.

If he were not being hounded by women, the men were talking to him of his fine skill in swordsmanship, and not-so-covertly brought him around to the bellows, telling him to feel free to use it as he pleased. His hosts were most hospitable.

If Jun hadn't turned up the next day, he would have left on his own, consequences be damned and someone have mercy on the fools who got in his way.

…

Jun and Piandao rode away from the town of Peiking, one sulking, the other smug.

"And what have we learned?"

"You can handle yourself."

"And?"

"You're crazy and vindictive."

"Meaning?"

"Pissing you off is a bad idea."

"Very good. Now, we're not going to do that again, are we?"

He wasn't sure if she was referring to rescuing her or pissing her off, but neither was probably the answer.

"No."

"Good."

Of course, Piandao had his fingers crossed behind his back with every intention of aggravating the woman again. Another lesson learned: there was something wrong with the man.


	6. O P Q R

…Open…

If asked, Jun really wouldn't know how they get to this subject. Perhaps it drifted from talk of the Southern terrain and the reason she knew it best was because that had been her almost-home as a child. Her father had been something of a nomad because of his trade, but with a young daughter in tow, winter was spent there. Three months was the longest they'd ever stayed anywhere.

Somehow from that, there was tentative talk of his own home that he could barely remember. Of course, he'd been just a kid himself when his parents dropped him off at an orphanage for not being a firebender. And Jun thought her dad had been strict.

Maybe the fault could be laid before the jugs of a distinctly alcoholic flavor. She can handle her fire whiskey just fine, and he sipped at his sparingly. How very proper of him. That's fine with her because the less he drank, the more there was for her. Although, his abstaining from drink might have had to do with the fact that it was barely past noon.

But however it happened didn't matter, and the fact that she probably wouldn't remember it later made Piandao feel much safer.

"Have you ever been in love?"

She laughs, genuinely amused with the thought.

"People don't fall in love. They get comfortable. Then after a while, they just get bored, miserable, and drunk."

"Is that why you drink? Because you're miserable and bored?"

"I drink...'cause of that wonderfully hazy edge everything gets," she emphasizes her point by downing another shot, "And that for that extra bit of _confidence_ that makes ya think you can do anything," she grins, "And I already can so I can do _everythin'._"

"Except believe in love."

"Why you so stuck on it?"

"Why are you so against it? Past experience perhaps?"

If she had been a bit more sober, she probably would have taken note of his curious looks, and calculated questions, and how he kept her cup filled. But she wasn't so she didn't. She just got drunk and talked.

And getting drunk was something never did. She _drank _but never so much as she was now. There were too many risks in her profession to do something so stupid. Competition would see an opportunity and take it, or she might be confronted with the types she usually hunted. Get drunk, get stupid, get dead. Her daddy used to tell her that, and considering how he died, that would be something like dramatic irony.

She knew that. She _lived _that. Yet here in the wilds, the two leaning comfortably on her napping shirshu in their shady little campsite, she broke that rule, just like the other two. And why? Because she went ahead, against all training and common sense, and trusted this man.

So she drank and answered his question very matter-of-factly.

"I was a comfortable idiot a long time ago. He lied, he left, I hope he dies a painful death, end of story."

She extended the cup for more whiskey. He obliged her.

For a few minutes, she leaned her head back against Nyla, eyes closed. As the sun peeked through the canopy of leaves, the light and warmth played across her face, and for a moment, she just enjoyed it.

"You're staring again, aren't you?"

"Yup."

She laughed.

Afterwards, she never made mention of anything they discussed. Piandao assumed it was forgotten and wasn't stupid enough to ask otherwise.

…Personal…

Nyla moved at a trot through the forest. The sun shone from high above the canopy of leaves, filtering the light with a green tint. Birds sang their songs, and hog monkey jumped from one to another above their heads. The shirshu caught the scent, heard the movement, and made to catch her lunch. A tightening hand on the reins and a harsh grunt corrected her, and with an unhappy groan, Nyla settled back on her path.

Piandao rode behind her, glad that he didn't have to worry about controlling the monster. He'd tried once. The creature was much like its owner and had nearly scraped him off on a low hanging branch, and there was a good laugh at his expense. At any rate, her skill was impressive.

After riding for hours, he'd let the tedious terrain roll by, the scenery becoming much the same. He'd taken to staring at the back of Jun's head and all that thick black hair, but then he kept entertaining the thought of touching it. As a young boy, he'd had problems with impulse control and seemed to be having a relapse as his fingers fairly danced along the leather of the saddle he was gripping. Since he didn't fancy his luck or having his fingers broken, he forced himself to focus on something else. Which was indeed difficult. The woman was not even six inches in front of him.

Nyla's deviation had roused from the half-meditative, half-asleep state he'd slipped into. His attention was once again on who was directly in front of him. The sun shone down on them, making her raven hair shimmer.

Okay, time to do something distracting.

Now.

"Where are we going?"

"I dunno. You got somewhere to be?"

"No. Merely curious."

"Nosy."

"I am _not_ nosy."

"_Sure _you're not," she snorted in a most unladylike manner.

"If I were truly nosy, I'd suggest we play a game like…Twenty Questions but in a clever way so that you'd suspect nothing."

"Have you always been this annoying?"

"No, but I've gotten better with age. How old are you?"

"I'm not playing your idiotic game."

Oh, this is perfect. A debate is on the horizon.

"But you asked me a question. That's how it starts. A woman of your age should know the rules to such a simple, harmless game."

"You have no idea how old I am. Besides, you shouldn't ask a woman that."

"I have never really understood that."

"I don't know about most women other than some kind of vanity thing, but I'd rather there be no certain knowledge of my age."

"Another of your rules," he scoffed.

"Hey, they're not my rules. My father taught them to me, and they've saved me more times than I can remember."

_Daddy's girl_, he thought. Of course, he'd never say that. He wasn't _that _desperate for a distraction. Instead, he said,

"You know, one of the oldest women I've ever met told me she was thirty-five."

"Huh."

"Yes, she had to about ninety-nine, but she stopped keeping track after thirty-five."

"Eh, twenty nine's better."

"Oh, really?"

"So I hear," she added quickly.

"Right. Of course there's nothing wrong with getting older."

"Yeah. Right."

"Would you rather the alternative?"

"Die young? At least I'd be keeping with family tradition. Or that might have to do with the profession."

"Hm. Wait, I lost track. Is your turn or mine?"

"Not playing, don't care."

Getting indifferent and retreating again. Can't have that.

"Oh," he said. "Oh, I see."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just – well, nevermind."

"Tell me now, or I will kick you off and leave you here."

"No need for drastic threats. I only meant that I understood your reasons for not playing along. You're afraid I'll ask certain questions that will reveal the truth about you."

"And that would be…?"

"That you're not as tough as you pretend."

"_Excuse you_?"

Don't back down now. Think of something, _anything._ Then again, this shouldn't be too hard.

"Don't mistake me. You are one of the fiercest warriors I have ever known, and there are times when you are downright frightening. But underneath your hard, sarcastic, materialistic exterior, you're a softie. Squishy even. You're a squishy romantic."

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"Are you out of your damn mind or do you just have a death wish?"

"Neither."

"Then just where in the seven realms of hell do you get off calling me a – a –"

Don't laugh, man, if you value your limbs!

"Squishy romantic. I mean it in a good way. Romantic is often taken to mean intimate relationships, but I –"

"I know what flippin' romantic means! Where do you get this crap from?"

"Well, you fit all the tales of bounty hunters. Traveling wherever you may roam, capturing evil-doers and always getting your man. Plus, I know what you did for Emi."

"Who?"

"Rinji's former mistress whom you brought back to her lover."

"Oh, her. I didn't do that for nothing, y'know. I got a ruby the –"

"Size of a hawk's egg, yes."

"So that had nothing to do with kindness or romanticism. Stop making me out to be someone I'm not."

"It's who you want to be though, isn't it? Someone noble…happy. This life you have – is it truly what you want for the rest of your life?"

"I thought what I did was so wonderful a moment ago."

Her shoulders drooped marginally. Yet he wanted to know.

"It is. But is it what you want?"

"I want to stop talking about this."

"Jun, I –"

"Shut up."

Well, that had been fun while it lasted. What to do n-

A catrabbit bounded out of the trees in front of them, and Nyla surged after it. Despite the experience he'd racked up over the months, Piandao was nearly unseated and breached those three inches between. Jun was unmindful of this as she struggled to regain control of her animal, leaving him in much the same situation he'd been trying to avoid.

That was not fair. Dusty and sweaty as she was, the woman still smelled like strawberries. While she was busy cursing at ill-tempered shirshu, he was begging Agni that she wouldn't break his arms for having them wrapped around her waist to avoid being thrown off and trampled underfoot.

…Quit…

"Have you ever thought about doing something else?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You're good at what you do, but it's never too late for a change in career."

"I'm not sure I could be…comfortable at anything else."

"Fine. But Piandao the Bounty Hunter Swordsman would have been a sweet title."

"As would Lady Jun of Shu Jing."

"Okay. No more saki for you. Makes you talk nonsense."

…Run…

She had been asked before. Usually the men were drunk or just stupid. Each time, she'd turned them down, always finding new and creative ways to add injury to insult.

The inn didn't have a great supply so Piandao was neither drunk when he asked, and she didn't consider him stupid. Entirely. Most of the time. And rather than smirk and kick the man where no man wanted to be kicked, she just stared at him. Then tugged loose that bun on the top of his head and kissed him. Just straight, out-right, _laid one on him_.

Once they were reminded of the necessity of breathing, Jun removed herself from his embrace, though he made it a little difficult for her.

"I take that as a yes."

She just smiled, turned, and strutted away to her room.

"Jun?"

"I'll sleep on it."

Just as simple and casual as that. And sleep she did…for about twenty minutes before she packed up and hightailed out of town hours before sunrise.

* * *

><p>I'm gonna go clean stuff now.<p> 


	7. Search

…Search…

_Look for it in your_

_Heart, measure it against your_

_Mind, and if it still doesn't add_

_Up, close your eyes,_

_Spin around, and_

_Go_

Nomu had known Jun since she was a little girl. Her father had brought the child into his tavern late one night along with a wanted bandit monkey-hogtied and tossed over his shoulder. He'd kept his opinion of a man who worked the business that he'd worked with his daughter to himself. Wasn't any of his business. But the kid had spunk and a wicked right hook and eventually proved him wrong. Only once had he seen the girl even remotely frazzled, and that was after her father's death. He'd poured her a cup and set a bottle of his finest sake on her table and left her alone. She'd merely sat there, staring into space and not touching the cup. It'd been the only time he'd never seen her drink.

This was the second.

…

Jun wasn't one to be in touch with her emotions. In her profession, listening to her emotions could lead to foolish and rash decisions. Usually, she took things, step back, and analyzed with a cool indifference with the end – a large payload – in mind.

This was entirely the same, merely another business arrangement. It could be argued that this one was much more important since it concerned how she would spend the rest of her life and should be taken a little more seriously. And she _was _taking it seriously. And she'd definitely taken a step back. In fact, one could say she totally retreated.

This could be seen in two parts: intellectually and emotionally.

In one sense, it was advantageous. He was rich, having not batted an eye when she told her how much she'd charge him for tracking down his student's – the Funny Boy's – weapons. He could definitely afford her. He was willing to go to great lengths for those important to him. Loyalty was good. She'd hate having to hurt the man for stepping out on her.

_If _she accepted, of course.

He was a noble, and that meant affluence, along with being something of a war hero for both sides.

She enjoyed talking to him, as he wasn't a complete chauvinistic idiot. He respected her and her skills, knowing what she was capable of. He was, in a way, her comrade in arms.

He was rather attractive, looking more like Earth with his dark complexion than Fire.

She scowled to herself. When did this become a mental list to sing his damn praises? This was supposed to be the intellectual, analytic part.

Who was she trying to fool? She liked him. She loved all of their stupid talks and arguments. She was comfortable with him and didn't that just make her a fool ten times over?

Then again, she'd kinda abandoned the man a couple of days ago. The offer might not even still be on the table. Would he have to ask her again, or should she just open with a yes next time she saw him? That begged the question of whether or not he was still in the Earth Kingdom. He could have gone back to the Fire Nation already, completely over whatever madness that had induced him to propose to her in the first place.

By Dai Gui, she hated this! She should just kill the man. He was turning her into such a baby. Really, this was disgusting. She was uncertain, indecisive, and confused. Embarrassed most of all.

She couldn't help but think she never should have taken that job. And the worst thing about thinking that was that she wasn't entirely sure if she meant it.

This was disgraceful. She could only imagine what her father would say. In fact, she could see him in her mind, shaking his head with a fond smile.

_Oh, baby girl…_

She scowled. She'd been expecting a bit more substantial and useful than that. She tipped her chair back, balancing it on two legs and worrying her bottom lip.

So what the heck was she gonna do? Track the man down and demand that he ask her to marry him again? Would that even work? She certainly hoped the man didn't expect an apology or anything like that. She felt almost justified in dipping out on him. Considering that the end of marriage was usually death, she deserved some time to think it over. It was, in every sense of it, a death trap.

But Jun was a woman who hunted criminals for her livelihood with the aid of a not-quite tame, several ton beast with a paralytic tongue, massive teeth and claws, and a temper as short as hers. If she punked out of this, her reputation would be ruined, and no one would hire her. If she looked at it like that, well, did she even have a choice?

Smiling a little, Jun thought that it was those kinds of jumps in logic that left her father puzzling over his little girl. He'd like Piandao, too. They would have gotten along, she was sure…maybe.

Sighing, she stood, laid down a few gold coins then drained the cup in a moment. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she snatched up the bottle and sauntered out the door to her waiting brute. She shoved the bottle into one of the saddle bags then dug through another bag. Her hands found the bag of coins Piandao had paid her with. There should still be enough of a trace left on it.

"Oh, Nyla," she sing-songed, running her fingers through the shirshu's coarse fur. "Time for Mama to go husband-hunting. Whaddya think of that, huh?"

Nyla's response was to take three deep breath of the bag, an excited yelp and an impatient stamping of her paws. Jun huffed and crossed her arms.

"You know, if you had let me know that you approved, you could have saved us the trouble."

Nyla grunted and tossed her head.

"Okay, yeah," she said as she climbed into the saddle. "It _is_ a pretty good way to end our careers.


	8. Trap

Piandao Shipping Week…yeah, just ignore those inconsistent dates and these late, late updates.

I had something else for this, but I decided I hated it. Most of it, anyway. I kept a little of the dialogue.

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><p>…Trap…<p>

Though he no longer had to, Jeong Jeong still lived a nomadic lifestyle in the Earth Kingdom. A few of his followers had gone back to the Fire Nation, to families they'd left behind. Others had stayed. It was a little known fact that Jeong Jeong followed a set migratory pattern, however, and it'd been rather easy for Piandao to find him.

A fact that he had steadily come to regret in the past few days. One of these days, he was going to be spontaneous about where they made camp. Even then, he might need a tent like the rest of his men's so he'd have time to escape before Piandao came to visit for a 'chat' and drink all of his tea.

"I had no idea women were so confounding. That is, I had an _idea_, but to actually experience the…insanity first hand…"

Jeong Jeong _hmm_'ed absently. He was more focused on getting all of the candles in the tent to burn at an even pace.

"I had thought that there was mutual interest and regard between us. I wouldn't have been surprised if she turned me down, but I'd at least thought the woman would have given me an answer _before_ running off. Although I might have…the proposal could have gone better. But then she…Jeong Jeong? Are you listening?"

"…what?"

"Have you heard anything I've been saying?"

"I'm not deaf unfortunately. I heard all about your impassioned dissertation on all the lovely merits of your insane, bounty hunter woman. Why didn't you go to Iroh or Pakku or…_anyone else_ about your lady problems?"

"Because Pakku is still a surly jackass while Iroh has an interest in June for himself. I'm not sure how serious it is."

"Ah."

Piandao poured himself another cup of fire whiskey – Jeong Jeong preferred for him to drink all of the liquor than the brew Iroh sent – and the silence remained for a moment. The firebender didn't try to break it. Despite the inconvenience, he somewhat enjoyed the visit. He'd never tell anyone that though. Ever.

The candles had lost half an inch by the time Jeong Jeong asked his question.

"Do you actually expect me to advise you?"

"Why not? You must have loved a woman at some point."

"Were we talking of love? I don't recall you saying anything about love?"

Piandao didn't get a chance. Pounding earth drummed loud in their ears. The men surged to their feet and were scarcely out the door when a woman shoved them both back in. Piandao's hand on his shoulder was the only thing stopped him from hurling a fireball at her. He looked between his comrade and the woman and assumed right. This was the infamous June that all of the fuss was about.

They gave each other a long look that Jeong Jeong didn't even begin to catch the meaning of. Piandao opened his mouth, but June cut him off.

"Shut up, sit down, and listen."

Surprisingly enough, he did, in that order, but not before giving a meaningful glance to Jeong Jeong and the exit. For the sake of being contrary, he sat down as well, reaching for the liquor. Like he was going to leave when it was getting good.

"I thought long and hard about you the past few days, and lemme tell you I didn't appreciate it at all having to track you half-way across the continent."

"I – "

"_I _am not done."

Jeong Jeong held his cup to his mouth to hide his smile. At one point during their conversations, Piandao had wagered that he'd get the woman to apologize. He really didn't see that happening.

"I'm not about to stand here and tell you I'm in love with you. I'm not entirely sure that I don't hate you actually, irritating as you are."

Jeong Jeong silently raised a toast to that.

"But if it came to it, and I absolutely had to pick one person to be with for the rest of my life, you place pretty high on the list. You _are _the list. To be perfectly blunt, I want you. So even though you _suck_ at proposals, I…I accept."

To Jeong Jeong's ears, she sounded a little amazed that she'd said that. Piandao had kept his face neutral but a certain gleam shone in his eyes.

"Jeong Jeong," he said, not bothering to look at him, "don't you need to be somewhere else right now?"

"No."

It was only the truth. They both looked at him, glared really. They would have to do better, of course.

"It's _my _tent," he insisted."

"Yes," Piandao agreed, "and it's a very nice one too. We promise to keep it that way for you _while you're gone._"

The candles blazed a little higher for a moment, then evened as the firebender left. Once outside, he only paused for a moment at the sight of the blind beast lying before him. It ignored him, and he did the same, going round to the back of the tent. This was the most entertaining to happen in weeks. Yes, he was going to eavesdrop.

He'd missed a bit of it, with a few seconds wasted, but caught the end of a question.

"…have a nice sleep?"

"You don't understand. I never thought about getting married to _anyone_ ever. Never ever never _ever_. What did you expect?"

"An _answer_."

"I just gave you one. I said _yes_. Why are you being difficult?"

Piandao barked a laugh. He heard clothing shift and assumed he'd stood. It was a good question though. Why _was _he being difficult? After whining to him for nearly a week, the woman presents herself, willing and all. All he had to do was swallow his pride, and agree with everything she said.

Even _he _knew that.

"Kettle meet pot. You ran away!"

"I didn't run…exactly. I needed to think – get away from you for a while. You're the one who hightailed it halfway back to the Fire Nation!"

This was becoming annoying. The thought to set the tent on fire briefly flashed through his mind, but he pushed the vicious thought away. Just because it would get this debate to progress didn't mean it was a good idea.

"_Because_. You. Left! Oh, wait, no, no. Went off to think for three days with no warning immediately after I proposed marriage to you. It sent a rather clear message."

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm not the kind of woman to fall into hysterics and agree to anything when a stupid man presents a stupid idea!"

Jeong Jeong scowled, suddenly becoming aware of what Piandao had been trying to accomplish. With those two words, Jeong Jeong had lost the bet. A part of him was impressed at how Piandao had played his gambit and manipulated the situation. Even before Piandao, he'd known of June's reputation. Contrived as it was, he'd never thought she'd say 'I'm sorry', and they hadn't set specific parameters to the context. Now not only did he have to attend the wedding, he was the best man.

He realized all at once that the arguing had stopped, a clearly bad sign either way. He considered that his cue that his cue to get back in there, before they defiled his tent.


	9. Union

…Union…

It was raining. No, rain was too peaceful. It _stormed_. Thunder, lightning, and sheets of rain pounded the city of Omashu.

"Don't worry," Bumi assured. "Rain on a wedding day is good luck here. If we were in the Fire Nation, _then_ you'd be in trouble."

"I'm in trouble anyway," Piandao groaned.

He sat in a chair with his head in his hand. Every beat of his heart kept a steady, pounding thud drumming through his ears. His stomach rolled with every breath, threatening to throw the contents of his stomach over the palace floor. However, he just had the nausea without the actual vomiting which could arguably be worse.

Of course, it could just be the nerves.

It was probably the alcohol though.

"You really are in bad shape," Bumi tsked.

"Why aren't you?"

While he'd had a few too many, Bumi had a few more too many and appeared no worse for wear.

"When you've lived as long as I, my boy, things either get easier or harder. I decided they should be easier."

Bumi stood before him, chewing on some leafy thing wearing a new robe of pure, stunning white. Piandao didn't know why and decided not to ask. Bumi could give him a headache when he was stone sober. In his current condition, he'd either make Piandao's head explode or start making sense.

"Jeong Jeong. You're _supposed _to be the best man. Why did you let me drink so much?"

The man in question stood at the window watching the rain, probably contemplating how water washed the world clean and had power to heal and destroy and being jealous because he was a firebender.

"Isn't the point of a stag party to drink too much? Be grateful I didn't let you wander off with some strange woman."

"The woman he's marrying is strange enough already," Pakku said, gazing about the room. "Really, Piandao, you should know your limits better than this."

"At least I didn't try to go streaking, unlike some people I could mention."

"I still don't believe I actually did that."

"My friend," Jeong Jeong said. "Believe me when I say you did and of your own accord."

"Where is Iroh?" Pakku said, not even trying to subtly change the subject.

"Probably trying to talk June into letting him walk her down the aisle again," Piandao answered. "When that fails, he'll start flirting with her bridesmaids. Then June will kick him out, and he'll remember that he was supposed to be getting me his so-called cure-all tea."

As if speaking his name conjured him, the door opened and the man himself appeared.

"I am afraid I couldn't find the right ingredients for the tea, but this should do just as well."

Iroh handed him a tall mug with a suspicious smelling liquid. It smelled almost like fire flakes, and he saw that the red thing floating in it was a chili pepper.

"What did you just give me?"

"Hair of the Puma Dog."

"…is that in here?"

"Of course not. At least, I didn't see June put it in."

"You got this from June?"

"Indeed. She suspected that you might indulge and had this ready."

Piandao glared bitterly at the drink before closing his eyes and downing it in four long gulps. Though June often courted tipsy herself, he knew that she'd skin him alive if he married her hung over. She'd planned this wedding with passion and detail that surprised him. June had confessed that she'd never really thought about things like weddings and dresses and all the fuss. He knew all the work she'd put into this and how truly excited she'd gotten about it. It was almost like she was possessed by some manic spirit of insane perfectionism.

And then she'd told him that she'd personally skin anyone who ruined it alive. That is how he realized that he was still marrying the same woman.

So with the Hair of Puma Dog still burning his tongue and bringing tears to his eyes, Piandao stood and pulled on his dark maroon silk _sherwani _, straightened his sleeves at the wrists edged in dark green and gold.

He knew that June's dress was a similar color to his, but he'd been forbidden to see it. In fact, she'd threatened to blind him. Her enthusiasm was completely endearing.

"Well, that's settled," Bumi clapped his hands once and split the wall open. "If you're sure you'll be staying conscious, let's get this show on the road. It's not every day I get to officiate weddings, you know. Or want to."

Iroh and Bumi led the way out with Pakku following. Piandao took a deep breath to steady himself. Then another. Why did he feel like he was one man against one hundred right now?

Very reluctantly, he sensed Jeong Jeong come up behind him. A hand settled on his shoulder briefly.

"Second thoughts?"

"Uh…no."

"Good. Because if you were, I have June's instructions to do you bodily harm to convince you otherwise and quite frankly, she's scarier than you."

"Who's best man are you, anyway?"

"The wedding's. Specifically the reception. "

"You really are a very self-serving man."

"You say that as if it's news to you. Shall we get the hanging over with?"

"You're not funny."

"I am having fun though."

Piandao was suddenly having second thoughts. Not about marrying June. No, he was re-thinking his choice of best man. Even at his age, he was still learning things: never con a somewhat mentally unstable troll of a fire bender.

"If I throw up, I'm aiming for you."

"And June will be a widow before she's a wife."

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><p>AN: In Asian culture, wearing white is for mourning at funerals. Where I live, weddings are often referred to as 'hangings'.


	10. V W X Y Z

…Vignette…

A life of dust and blood, living by fists, a whip, and a hairy beast traded for silk and luxury. It was a difficult transition but not unpleasant. She'd never thought she'd enjoy being a wifey.

Soldiering was not his way, and peace was not his lot. Nobility born and cast aside from it, he cut his way back to it. With war's end, he has taken the title of husband and to his chagrin Sugar Daddy.

…Wild-Card…

Piandao could have married almost anyone he wanted. The locals of Shu Jing had certainly encouraged him enough.

Daughters young enough to be his, sisters, and aunt had all been paraded before him. They were pretty enough. The dowries were more than generous. Any one of them was just as intelligent as the other – as they were taught to be. They knew calligraphy, at least one musical instrument, how to flatter and dear Agni, it was like they were all copies.

Within minutes, he had pegged which were going to be obedient koala lambs. Which were going to annoy him, and drain him of all life energy. Which were going to murder him and take up with their young lover.

They were terribly transparent and terribly boring.

As a change of pace, he'd acted the fool, the delusional nihilist, and once, gay. _That_ act had worked a little too well, and at that time, his trips to the Earth Kingdom became more frequent.

…Xenophobia…

For years, it had only been he and Master Piandao. Out of the hundreds who'd come to him to be taught the way of the sword, Master Piandao had chosen him. He'd been a diligent student and a devoted servant to his master. They had a solid routine, and things ran smoothly. His master wasn't a demanding or belligerent man, and it was a pleasure to serve him.

Fat's life of service to Master Piandao was peaceful and enlightened. He would have it no other way.

But then – and isn't there always a 'but'? – the master came home from his journey to retrieve Sokka's weapons for him after several months. A kind gesture on his part indeed. However, he didn't come home alone. It is not that Fat expected his master to remain a bachelor forever; that would have been convenient but unrealistic. It was just that, when his master married, he expected a _lady_. Not the crude, rude, female bounty hunter – a _bounty hunter _of all things! – with her filthy beast.

"So you're a manservant. That mean I get a lady-in-waiting or something or do we share him?"

"If Fat feels over-burdened then you may."

"Oh, I may? So Fat. Cute. Now then, as your mistress…Spirits, is it just me, or does that word make you think of a whore?"

"Definitely a whore," Fat said dully.

"Oh. You're one of those types. You and me, Chubs, are gonna get along great."

"I am so glad."

"Now, about Nyla…"

After dealing with that beast that nearly ate_ him_ that now resided in the barn, Fat tracked down Master Piandao and asked a question that could be the only explanation for that demon and the creature's presence in his – er…the master's sanctuary.

Fat found him in his personal study, composing a letter, presumably informing a select few of his new…unfortunate development. As there really wasn't a delicate way to put it, Fat blurted it out.

"Is she pregnant? It might not be yours."

The master looked up, surprise clearly written on his face, and his hand, carefully holding his calligraphy brush, kept moving across the page. Unmindful that he'd just ruined his missive, he simply stared at his servant for a while, and Fat respectfully waited for him to answer.

"Fat, I didn't marry Jun because of some indiscretion. We truly care for each other. I understand this change is somewhat unsettling, but I'm confident that you two will come to like each other well enough."

"…are you _positive_ she's not pregnant?"

…Yoke…

When two people married, they made a vow to not only love and honor each other. They also made a promise to share the burdens of the other person throughout their lives. With two people carrying, it made the load easier to bear.

With the new Fire Lord, the young man needed as many loyal allies as possible. Piandao considered himself to be one of them and so would be at the event. The party would last at least a week, and the Lord of Shu Jing intended to stay three days at the most. As wife of a lord, certain duties were expected. Political balls and functions had to be attended. While not necessarily befriending, _speaking _ to other people would be nice. Really, he could live with her not snapping and knocking someone out.

"Explain it to me again."

Piandao could only roll his eyes at his wife's behavior.

"No, really. Tell me. I swear I'll actually listen this time."

"Liar."

"Yeah. I still think we should both stay here."

"Jun. I don't particularly like these things either, but we _are _going."

"'Cause of politics?"

"Yup."

"Politics suck."

"Yes, they do. But they are a necessary evil."

"No. Bounty hunting is a necessary evil. Politics are just evil. There's no point to them except to coddle the oh-so sensitive egos of the over-fed, greedy narcissists that rule the starving masses."

"You realize that you're now one of them?"

"Huh."

"And a perk to going to these parties and dealing with the – what did you call them?"

"Over-fed, greedy narcissists that rule the starving masses. That actually has a nice ring to it."

"Yes, them. They have free booze."

"Well, what are we still doing, sitting around here?"

"Probably because you're still in your dressing robe and won't get off my lap."

"Well, it's not like you want me to."

…Zone…

"There's this thing. It's my personal space. You're violating it."

"Do you care?"

"Actually, I do. You're still too far."

…

Fifteen minutes or so later, Fat walked straight into his master's – and now his _mistress's _– bedchamber with a letter from the Grand Master, just retrieved from the messenger hawk. In less than three seconds, he stumbled back down the hall, intent on locating the nearest bottle of alcohol to clean his eyes.

The lord and lady of the manor had never even spared the poor servant a glance.

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><p>I cheated with W. Longest week ever.<p> 


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